First Drive: 2011 Jeep Compass
 

Filed under: Crossover, Jeep, First Drive, Off-Road

What A Difference A New Face Makes

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The needle is finally pointed in the right direction.

The original 2007 Jeep Compass was the first production Jeep that wasn't. Beyond its "Jeep" badge and trademark seven-bar grille, the Compass was a compact crossover derived from the front-wheel-drive Dodge Caliber, a product that lacked the hardware and personality to provide the foundation for a genuine Jeep.

Hampered by ungainly styling, modest power and no transfer case, the Compass never achieved much success on trails or in showrooms. Compass sales always lagged behind the Caliber and its closer platform relative, the Jeep Patriot. In short, the Compass didn't accomplish its mission of being an attractive entry-level Jeep for shoppers who aspired to own a Grand Cherokee but couldn't afford a real Jeep.

Chrysler improved the Compass's interior for 2009, but given the national economic climate and the company's bankruptcy, it's likely that even more substantial product changes wouldn't have moved the sales needle. Things should be a bit different for the 2011 model year.

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Gallery: 2011 Jeep Compass Limited: First Drive

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Photos copyright (C)2010 Rex Roy / AOL, JeepContinue reading First Drive: 2011 Jeep Compass

First Drive: 2011 Jeep Compass originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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